keeping one or more aba aba knifefish in the same tank

GarNiac

Jack Dempsey
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Feb 21, 2009
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hi, just wanna know if anyone ever kept two or more aba2 knifefish in the same tank? any success? will one attempt to attack the other one?
pls share your thought,
cheers
 

MonsterMinis

Feeder Fish
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Apr 28, 2009
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Most knives have pretty intense con-specific aggression.. since it's generally a challenge to raise young Aba's up to begin with.. yeah I wouldn't chance it with my own guy after all the work and care I've put into getting him to his size. not to mention haveing a tank large enough to house 2 beasts. imo you'de have to have a large tank/pond with some nice hide spots ( I noticed my guy though haveing a few hide spots sticks to certain ones at certain times of the day suggesting he'd be territorial of his spaces) and plenty of food to avoid cannibalizim which people have mentioned in juvies. It might work in some of the JDM style set-ups that have them in Comm tanks... But even then i doubt it would work long-term.

my 2cents
 

GarNiac

Jack Dempsey
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Feb 21, 2009
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thanks for the thought, I was gonna get another one with similar size, untill some folks in the lfs told me that its too risky mixing the same species together even in a large tank. Right not I am keeeping my 48cm aba2 in a com tank together with some catfishes. I havent notice the aba2 biting my catfishes yet, with the present of feeders fish in the tank. They always stay piling up in the corner of the tank, and they get really active at night, so I guess I'll keep an eye on them till I get a bigger tank.
 

Hoyo12

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Jun 23, 2009
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I watched it be done at the LFS I work at...for a few days. After the fish settled and established territories, those that weren't quick/strong enough were torn to shreds. And that only at 3"-3.5". Is it possible? It could be, but it would be one risky experiment. I've seen the same thing with Carapo Knives and their aggression.
 

bes426

Feeder Fish
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Oct 13, 2015
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hi, just wanna know if anyone ever kept two or more aba2 knifefish in the same tank? any success? will one attempt to attack the other one?
pls share your thought,
cheers
Not if you want them both to live in one piece!
 

Drumm22

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Apr 1, 2020
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Idk what aba means but j have 2 african knife fish in the same tank with no problems
 

Hendre

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Jan 14, 2016
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Not if you want them both to live in one piece!
This thread is pretty old :nilly:

Idk what aba means but j have 2 african knife fish in the same tank with no problems
African knives (Xenomystus nigri) can cohabit fine most of the time, Aba aba (Gymnarchus niloticus) is a nasty piece of work that eats most things ;)
 

twentyleagues

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Apr 5, 2017
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This thread is pretty old :nilly:


African knives (Xenomystus nigri) can cohabit fine most of the time, Aba aba (Gymnarchus niloticus) is a nasty piece of work that eats most things ;)
I can't both laugh and like the same post so I laughed at the this is an old thread. And this post is a like to your answer of the aba aba thing.
 
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